3 September 2026 | 11:56

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The leader of the People’s Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has called for the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for “incompetence or complicity” over the migrant crisis in Ceuta. Speaking in Congress after Sánchez’s address, Feijóo said the arrival of about 80,000 migrants in Ceuta on the night of 30–31 July was “an operation that started in Morocco, was endorsed by Morocco, and there are indications that Morocco coordinated it and that the government was aware because it had been warned.”

Feijóo said Sánchez should face legal consequences for what happened in Ceuta. “Don’t even think of blaming others for the chaos you caused,” Feijóo told Sánchez, defending the security forces and intelligence services. “You are responsible for having prevented the powder keg of Ceuta from exploding, and it is also your ultimate responsibility to ensure this does not go unpunished. Are there political and legal responsibilities in this? Yes,” the PP leader said.

In his speech to Congress, Feijóo also accused Sánchez of not taking a firmer stance toward Morocco, suggesting that Rabat might possess compromising information about the socialist leader. “What does Morocco know about you?” the PP leader asked the prime minister. As noted by El País, Feijóo delivered a strong attack in Congress, warning Sánchez he could face criminal charges over the Ceuta crisis. “Look at me,” he said from the podium, “You will pay for this, in court and at the ballot box.”

Feijóo’s speech followed a protest held last night outside Madrid’s city hall, where about 50,000 people gathered to oppose the prime minister. Chants such as “Pedro Sánchez, in prison!” and “Invaders, expelled!” were heard in Madrid on a day of demonstrations organized by the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces led by the PP, officially to express support for the residents of Ceuta. In Madrid—where PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Vox leader Santiago Abascal were present at different times—protesters also voiced anger at Sánchez, whom they hold responsible for the Ceuta migrant crisis.

Albares, who arrived first at the event, reiterated his demand that the socialist leader be tried for treason. “The invasion of Ceuta is part of the hybrid war that Morocco is waging against Spain with the encouragement, help, complicity and silence of the president of the government, who is a traitor,” said the Vox leader. “A Spanish city was invaded, was occupied and, unfortunately, with the awareness of the Spanish government,” Feijóo said, arriving in the square with Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida. “We will find out why they invaded Ceuta, we will find out who gave their consent and, of course, we already know who lied to us. Who lied, with police reports in hand, were the entire Council of Ministers and the prime minister. This is an unprecedented event in our history. And it is unprecedented to have a government that lied to all citizens about something as fundamental as our integrity and our sovereignty,” the PP leader said.